15 May 2026
In 2025, more than 1 million people worldwide were trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), the Australian evidence-based education and intervention program, according to the newly released 2025 Impact Report from health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid International.
The report highlights a record year for the movement, with 141,000 Australians trained in MHFA in 2025 – the highest annual participation in the program’s history – as communities, workplaces and education settings respond to growing mental health pressures worldwide.
From its beginnings in 2000 in Canberra, on the lands of the Ngunnawal people, the world-leading, evidence-based training is now delivered in more than 50 countries and has reached 9 million people worldwide.
MHFA International CEO Angus Clelland said the report reflects both the scale of global mental health challenges and the growing demand for practical, community-based solutions.
“Global and national reports continue to sound the alarm on increasing mental health pressures – from economic uncertainty and climate anxiety to social disruption and unrest.”
“The calls for prevention and early intervention are getting louder, and communities are looking for practical skills to support one another before a crisis escalates,” he adds.
“Every person trained in MHFA represents another individual equipped to recognise the signs someone may be struggling, start a conversation, and connect them with support.”
The report measures impact against MHFA International’s 2024–2030 Strategic Plan, which aims to increase the number of people trained globally to 12 million by 2030, including 3 million Australians.
Key milestones in 2025 included the launch of MHFA International’s first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, expanded investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA programs, and the delivery of targeted training initiatives for health professional students and the veteran community across Australia.
Mr Clelland said the organisation’s impact remained grounded in the contribution of its global network of MHFAiders, Instructors, Trainers, partners and providers.
“This movement has always been powered by people and communities coming together to support one another.”
“That collective effort is helping to give hope, save lives, and ensure everyone can have the skills to support others when it matters most.”
Read the full 2025 MHFA International Impact Report, or download the summary reports:
